Michael (Nick Eversman) is a good kid and he has a close relationship with mom, Becca, especially since he saw his father, Paul (Sean Bean, Game of Thrones), blown up in a car bombing when he was a child. When Michael quits contacting Becca while studying abroad, she instantly knows something is amiss and hops the first plane to Italy. While there, she gets in touch with old contact and flame Giancarlo Rossi (Adriano Giannini), who tries to help her run down Michael’s last movements. However, Becca stumbles onto something much bigger, as the people who last had contact with Michael begin dropping dead and this gets the attention of CIA agent Dax Miller (Cliff Curtis) and his team, who begin pursuing Becca. Soon, Becca is calling in favors from old friends, including Michael’s godfather and former CIA agent, Martin Newman (Keith Carradine, Dexter) and it will take all of her resources if she is to ever see Michael again.
Meanwhile, as Michael is being held captive somewhere in Eastern Europe, he is befriended by a young woman named Oksana (Tereza Voriskova), meant to be his gatekeeper. Michael soon realizes that his feelings for Oksana will be used against him as his infractions result in pain for her. But Michael is his mother’s son and determines to escape with Oksana, despite her having a medical condition which makes it difficult.
As Becca attempts to stay one step ahead of her former employers, the past as she knows it begins unraveling. Could it be that her husband, Paul, isn’t truly dead? Worse yet, could a former associate of Becca and Paul’s be holding Michael? The truth is actually much worse and when Becca discovers the identity of the man behind it all, she may have to take his life to save her family.
Overall, I really enjoyed Missing, aside from a couple of things. First off, I thought all of the actors did an amazing job. Ashley Judd definitely pushed herself in this series and came off as the appropriately bad-assed former CIA operative. However, at times, it was almost too much. She’s been out of the life for 10 years and yes, she runs every day with her son, but I don’t think her fighting and gun skills would be up to snuff without constant practice, which she obviously didn’t do as she kept that old life a secret from her son and everyone around her. Second, Ashley Judd plays Becca as a 20-something when she is pregnant with Michael, and again a few years later as he is a young boy. Now, she is a lovely woman and still has the body of a 20-something, but the truth of the matter is that she is in her mid-40’s and simply doesn’t look 24 anymore. It would have felt more immersive to simply have an age-appropriate actress who favors Ms. Judd play the role.
Lastly, Missing would have made a perfect mid-season replacement, like Harper’s Ferry. As I was watching the show, it just didn’t seem like series material, almost as if the story was meant to be contained within one season, which it basically was. That being said, Missing has been cancelled and, while the storyline wraps up beautifully, it then ends in a cliffhanger to set things up for Season Two, a season that will never happen. To save yourself some grief, simply don’t watch the last minute of the show. You won’t be missing much.
The special features are brief and include a handful of deleted scenes, plus two making-of featurettes, one on the location-based shooting for the show and the other on what it took to bring the show to the small screen. I will say that my favorite aspects of Missing: The Complete First Season were the directing style, which was very high-action, and the magnificent locales. They take the viewer to Vienna, Italy, Istanbul and Russia and some of the locations are truly breathtaking.
In short, I recommend Missing: The Complete First Season for action lovers. They storyline and acting are good and it’s a fun watch. As long as you go into it knowing that you won’t get a Season Two, the show is quite fulfilling and worth your time.
